What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 11am - 5pm Wednesday 11am - 5pm Thursday 11am - 5pm Friday 11am - 5pm Saturday 11am - 5pm

Nonna Tours

Small, private, guided tours of Italy.

10/01/2023

Ultima Cena! One of the better meals in the past two weeks of very good meals!

More on the new chef and the food later on.

10/01/2023

One last picture of the four statues done by Michelangelo at 27 years of age!

10/01/2023

Final day of the tour was spent at the Duomo. Roberta, our guide for this whole past week, dragged up facts and figures from her toes, and she answered every question posed to her. The Duomo is one of the more significant churches in Italy, in my opinion, not only for it's size, but because of the statues, the marble, the Picolomini library, and the carved inlaid marble floors.

The floors are generally covered, out of sight, protected from the public, but today they are open to be viewed!

10/01/2023

Friday was Chianti country. As one of the group said, it's so easy to tell the difference between Tuscany and Umbria: they both have "hills" but in Tuscany they roll and in Umbria they go straight up!

Nevertheless, both areas are absolutely beautiful in their own rite.

Lunch was at Castello de Albola, but first was a tour of the cellars, the wine-making facilities, and the fantastic grounds of the estate. We tasted 2 whites, two reds and a Vin Santo.

Dinner was at il Pomodorino, the best pizza in town! A bottle of wine, a little beer, and a walk home to work off the day's calories. And, it certainly didn't hurt that the view from the top of the hill was of both the Mangia tower and the San Benedetto church, with a bit of the Duomo showing in the background.

09/30/2023

So, Thursday we were in Pienza, and to me at least, Pienza is synonymous with Popes and pecorino! Pope Pius is the one generally associated with this town where the church will someday fall off of the mountain side into the valley below. It has been working in that direction for all of the years I have been coming to Pienza and at the slow rate it moves, it will be here for many, many years to come. But it sounds more dramatic to say that it will someday fall.

On the other hand, we have been visiting Cugusi Caseficio for years and nothing will get in the way of enjoying their cheeses.

The family originally was in Sardinia and 3 (?) generations ago moved to this area where they produce some of the tastiest sheep milk cheese ever. Lunch today was a tasting plate of a some of their finest.

On the way home, we saw Chianina cows in a field, the finest example I can think of right now of Farm to Table, since I had planned to dine at il Ghibelino for dinner.

Il Ghibelino is one of the best steak houses I have ever dined at. Their t-bone steak from this special breed is outstanding: tender, served almost raw, with a nice char on the outside. Served with roasted potatoes (al forno) and a mixed salad.

The best part of the evening was the parade that went right by our outdoor table. The Selva contrada was celebrating their recent Palio win, with all the noise an gaiety they could muster.

09/30/2023

Deanna Coffin Ridgway these are for you! Nonna Gina's Pici alla Dado and Gnocchi alla Lella.

09/27/2023

Last night was the opera. I am still awestruck.

09/27/2023

Last night was truly a joy for me: Italian Opera in Siena. It wasn't that I hadn't ever been to this opera house -- I had been there many times with tours in years past. It wasn't that I had never before sat in the front row -- Roberto generally managed to sit my group right in front. It wasn't even that I was familiar with most of the pieces -- I usually have heard the music before.

No, it was so special because of the people on the stage, the artists who sang with such skill. The soprano, Veronica, had the most wonderful expressions on her face as she sang with total abandon. And Pedro! OMG, the twinkle in his eye as he pranced around the stage. I have heard the opera The Barber of Saville 3 times before, but never have I heard Figaro sung with such precision and force!

And then Gianni, the pianist who sat precisely on the center of the bench, in the center of the keyboard, his hands flying back and forth and he literally banged that keyboard, and made wonderful, inspiring music come from it. He was amazing!

The best part was that I got to meet the 3 of them in person last night. What more could I ask?

09/25/2023

From il Pellicano to Casamonti for lunch. Anna Rita and Raymond have not disappointed EVER with their selection of wines and the menu. First, a pasta from the region around Modena that reminds me of buccatini that has been cut into 2 inch pieces. The sauce was amazing, and consisted of homemade sausage, cream, and handfuls of Parmigiano Reggiano with peas. Then, a whole range of bruschetta, only some of which made it to the picture. Zucchini sautéed in butter with a few different spices that I actually liked, although I generally dislike zucchini.

A plate of tomatoes with mozzarella that tasted like real tomatoes, not the plastic variety we get in the States. A course of 25 month aged Parmigiano Reggiano with 25 year old balsamico from Anna Rita's private stock (she was born in the Modena region and it is truly a family heirloom). Tiramisu for dessert, and then we just rolled down the hill to the bus! The wine bottles are missing as is the fantastic olive oil we had with bread at the beginning. I just know that I'm missing something here, but...

09/25/2023

If it's Monday in Siena, it must be il Pellicano!

Our dear friend, Elisabetta Ricci, is a very special artist and she demonstrated how she makes her beautiful pieces. She sits and talks with us about how it's done, explaining colors, glazing etc all while she paints. I am still amazed that she can do it, even thought I have seen her perform many, many times!

Somehow, Joanne and I managed to fall in love with a huge wall plate that will now grace the short wall over our heads in the living room at home. No picture, so if you want to see it, you'll have to wait till it is hung on the wall. Trust me, it will be worth the wait!

09/25/2023

Sunday we headed to Siena to start week two of our Italian holiday!

The afternoon was free and folks generally sat in the bar with an Aperol Spritz and chips! Then, a short walk to look around the city that will be very familiar before the week is done.

Dinner was at il Mangia, the restaurant in the Hotel Athena. There is a new chef here since we were here last and he didn't disappoint. I had planned ahead of time to serve the courses family style, so that everyone could have a little of everything served.

Grilled shrimp, cheese and salumi platter. Then came the pasta: open faced lasagna, maltagliati with a Tuscan ragu, ravioli with bacala, and pici cacio e pepe ( but it was gone too fast to get a pic).

For for dessert, there was a little surprise. Donna & Kenny were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. So, I ordered a nice chocolate torte, decorated appropriately. Their kids even called then during dessert to make it extra special!

09/25/2023

Ultima cena!

Duck with sour cherries

Tempura of Tench from Lake Trasimeno

Spaghetti with pistachio and chicory

Braised veal shank with chickpeas

The truffle: soft ricotta, truffles, white chocolate granita and olive oil ice cream.

Final cuddles consisted of a variety of home made chocolate treats and other nibbles to finish off dinner.

09/25/2023

Saturday I had planned a quick trip to Castelluccio at the top of the mountain. But, the weather would not cooperate, so we went off to Orvieto, where we had beautiful sunshine. Back in Norcia, meanwhile, it hailed and rained all day, pretty much till we arrived back. I must say, Orvieto was a much better choice!

The outside of the church is magnificent; if you look at the picture, all of that yellow is actual gold! It is a cathedral because of the bishop's residence, but early on, it was used as the Papal residence also. There was no real damage from the earthquake of 2016, except that the pillars inside were cracked. If you look closely, you can see the straps around the pillars to provide extra support.

The ceiling of the chapel at the side is referred to as the Little Sistine Chapel because it resembles the ceiling in Rome. The interior of the church, is adorned with marble statues that are absolutely beautiful. The organ has over 5000 pipes and is still in great working condition.

Then back home to pack and our final dinner at Palazzo Seneca.

09/25/2023

Friday, Assisi & Montefalco. We have been there so many times, that I just can't say something new about it. Dinner back at Granaro del Monte. A grill of lamb and roasted potatoes and for those of us who don't eat lamb, it was a grilled piece of beef. Love that grill flavor! Dessert was a semifreddo on a base of cream. Good...

09/25/2023

Sorry to have missed a couple of days posting, but we've been busy!

So after the cashmere experience we had lunch at a lovely outdoor cafe. Then on to the chocolate factory! We made our own chocolate bars, and then had a chocolate & wine tasting experience. The chocolate is out of this world!

Dinner that night was salmon over greens and a risotto with truffles to die for! Fresh fruit with sorbetto rounded out the meal.

09/22/2023

Yesterday we blew through a bit of $$$$. We went to the cashmere factory. I have to say, I had no idea what it would be like when I booked the tour, but I wasn't disappointed at all!

First of all, this place does it the hard way, all by hand. We met the designer who creates the new styles and her partner in crime: the guy who puts the designs into digital form.

From there, the looms run the programs, under the constant watchful eye of the person who makes sure that the spools of yarn do not catch or lag behind. Each piece is made on the loom; in the case of a sweater, for instance, the sleeves are separate from the back and the front. And, each piece is inspected separately for any kind of irregularities or damage. If the problem is small enough to fix, that's fine. If too big, then the whole piece is unraveled and re-used but not as a new piece, but recycled!

We watched one of the young women repair a small hole in a sweater, and when she was done, there was no way to see the repair. It is truly a work of art! The guide for the day says she has pieces of cashmere that she has worn for 20 years!

09/22/2023

Dinner was at the Granara del Monte, one of the restaurants owned by the Bianconi family. For those of you who had been to Norcia pre earthquake, it was in the hotel Azzuro, and had been destroyed in the quake. It is now in temporary quarters, down the hill a bit, and will be moved back to the hotel when it is finally put back together. They are thinking, somewhere between Christmas and Easter.

The temporary status hasn't hurt the food at all. Typical of Umbria, we started with a selection of meats from the local butchers. Unfortunately, no picture before I absolutely devoured the plate of salumi, prosciutto, and one cheese ( served with honey).

Then, a pasta! Linguine with a cream sauce with pieces of sausage in it, and dressed with guanciale. At first I thought it was pancetta, but it was "sweet" and that would be from the cheek, not the stomach of the pig.

Then, the thing I had been waiting for all day. Mixed grill. A sausage, a pork chop, a piece of beef (lamb for those who prefer it) with a portion of roasted potatoes. The meats all had that perfect char on them and the only complaint I heard was that the lamb portion was too small!

Tiramisu for dessert.

09/22/2023

Spoleto was the afternoon of the cheese visit. I was tired and spent most of the afternoon sitting in a piazza with Crodino and chips. This is the view from the piazza!

Address

Yarmouth, MA
02675

Opening Hours

Tuesday	11am - 5pm
Wednesday	11am - 5pm
Thursday	11am - 5pm
Friday	11am - 5pm
Saturday	11am - 5pm

Website

http://Www.NonnaElenasBox.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Nonna Tours posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Nonna Tours:

Videos

Palermo….lovely afternoon walking through the city, complete with street entertainment!

Welcome dinner at Villa San Carlo! Much love to Paola and Carlo for the wonderful week we spent with you. We will leave tomorrow, but a part of me will always be here in Cortemilia.

Above the clouds, and then you realize that those are the Alps you're looking at.

On top of Siena, looking down over Piazza il Campo, all I could think about was the year we had attended the Palio. And then, out of nowhere, came the sound of drums and chanting, and I was back there. The Contrada il Tartuca (the Turtle) had won the special third Palio race this year, in October, and had spent the past week parading the symbol of their win, the Palio itself, through the streets of Siena. I wish it had been Aquila. Never did I imagine that we would be looking down over il Campo; looking out to the Duomo; looking over just across the way at the Mangia tower. But there we were on top of the world looking down from Torre Roccabruna. A magical night indeed.

The ocean outside our room.

Nonna Tours

10/01/2023

10/01/2023

10/01/2023

10/01/2023

09/30/2023

09/30/2023

09/27/2023

09/27/2023

09/25/2023

09/25/2023

09/25/2023

09/25/2023

09/25/2023

09/25/2023

09/25/2023

09/22/2023

09/22/2023

09/22/2023

Address

Opening Hours

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Videos

Shortcuts

Share

Category